chain
chain
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "chain" is /tʃeɪn/.
/tʃeɪn/
Word Form Variations
Singular noun: chain
Plural noun: chains
Present tense verb (base form): chain
Present tense verb (third person singular): chains
Past tense verb: chained
Past participle verb: chained
Present participle verb: chaining
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A series of interconnected links, typically made of metal, used for various purposes such as securing, pulling, or decoration.
Synonyms: linkage, shackle, bond, fetter
Antonyms: disconnection, separation, severing
Definition 2: A sequence or series of related things, events, or establishments, where each element is connected to the next.
Synonyms: sequence, string, series, succession, network, syndicate
Antonyms: individual, isolation, standalone, single unit
Verb
Definition 1: To fasten or secure something with a chain.
Synonyms: shackle, tether, bind, fetter, restrain
Antonyms: unchain, release, free, liberate, untie
Definition 2: To connect or link things together in a series.
Synonyms: link, connect, join, couple, interlink
Antonyms: disconnect, separate, uncouple, break apart
Examples of Use
Books: "The old man reached for the heavy iron chain that secured the gate." (From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, May 1988)
Newspapers: "Supply chain disruptions continue to impact global markets, leading to rising consumer prices." (From The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications: "Local activists are campaigning to break the chain of poverty in the community by providing educational resources." (From a HuffPost article)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow is seen attempting to escape by linking a chain to a cannon. (July 2003)
Entertainment Platforms (Television): A news segment on CNN discussed how a fast-food chain was expanding its vegan menu options.
General Public Discourse: "We need to ensure that every link in the security chain is strong, from our data encryption to our physical access controls." (Statement heard in a public cybersecurity conference).
10 Quotes Using Chain
"The chain is only as strong as its weakest link." (Proverb)
"Every reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an almost intolerable excess, which will in its turn generate the necessity of a new reform; and so, through a perpetual chain of action and reaction, the history of Europe, and perhaps of all mankind, may be traced." (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." But it has more than just an intellectual function. Reading connects us to other people. It builds a chain between us and our fellow human beings." (George R.R. Martin)
"One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful." (Sigmund Freud, though often misattributed, the sentiment aligns with his work on the chain of experience leading to growth).
"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." (Mahatma Gandhi, reflecting on the chain of cause and effect in one's life).
"You have to learn to get up from the table when love is no longer being served." (Nina Simone, a sentiment that speaks to breaking a chain of unhealthy attachment).
"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will." (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, a declaration against the chain of societal expectation).
"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, 1762)
"The true traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." (Lao Tzu, implying freedom from the chain of rigid schedules).
"The heaviest chain of all is the one you cannot see." (Attributed to various sources, often in discussions of mental or emotional burdens).
Etymology
The word "chain" has a fascinating history that goes back a long way!
It comes to us from Old French, specifically the word "chaine," which meant a "chain" or a "bond." Before that, it can be traced even further back to the Latin word "catena," which also meant "chain."
The very first known use and meaning of "chain" in English, around the 13th century, was very much what we understand it to be today: a series of connected links, usually made of metal. It was used to describe things like a metal chain used for fastening or holding something. Over time, the meaning broadened to include more abstract ideas of connection or sequence, like a "chain of events," but its core meaning has always revolved around that idea of linked parts.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Chain
Chain reaction: A series of events in which each event is the result of the previous one, like falling dominoes.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link: The overall strength of a group or system is limited by the strength of its weakest member or part.
Off the chain: (Slang) Excellent, outstanding, or out of control in a positive way.
To be chained to something/someone: To be bound, restricted, or inextricably linked to something or someone, often implying a lack of freedom.
Supply chain: The sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a commodity.
Food chain: A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
Chain smoker: A person who smokes one cigarette immediately after another.
Chain of command: A system in an organization where instructions are passed down from the top to the bottom.
Heavy chains: Refers to significant burdens or restrictions.
Break the chain: To stop a continuous cycle, especially a negative one.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of chain from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
